It’s day two of my 2017 Year in Review and for the first time ever, I am doing a compilation of my least favorites! Some of you can call it worst. Some of you can call it bad. I choose to say that the below just didn’t cut if for me.

To be fair, I missed a lot of content as well, so just in case there’s stuff that you consider worse, there’s a chance I didn’t see it – but feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

In no particular order, these are my least favorite experiences with Nollywood content in 2017.

Lagos Big Boy – NdaniTV, Dare Olaitan, Abimbola Craig

I do not believe any critic/reviewer or general content lover can genuinely, in all honesty create a list of horrible content in 2017 without placing Lagos Big Boy on a special pedestal. It’s not even a feature film or cinema release but it’s the first thing I have chosen to highlight on my list.

Created for a platform (Web TV) that has given Nigerians relatable and endearing content in terms of story and performances, Lagos Big Boy is anything but cohesive. Is it the acting? The story? The sheer cringe-nature of the entire twelve episodes?

It would definitely be unfair to the entire cast and crew if I left this one out. Totally unfair!

Okafor’s Law – Omoni Oboli

Every time I remember that this film represented Nigeria at TIFF last year, I cry a little.

You see, my problem with Okafor’s Law is the general story and the characterization of Nigerian women; especially as it was made by a female director. Why in God’s name would one want to perpetuate such an unattractive stereotype?! In such an unattractive albeit bright way, I might add.

Add horrible ADR, and average to really bad acting, and you have —- a nightmare. It really makes me question why there was so much controversy around the script, and how it got shortlisted on the chosen 8 for TIFF… oh well.

The Acting Performances in Ajuwaya – Rahama Sadau, Timini Egbuson

This was a No, No! Really bad performances from the main cast. Forgettable and doing very little to make the story worthwhile. Well except one person… who ends up on my best list!

Excess Luggage – Damijo Efe Young, IK Ogbonna, Nikky Ufondu

When I say that the drive for comedy is turning our content to shit, this is a prime example. Like why would the makers of this film believe they could cook this up and get people to spend their time and money at a cinema to consume it? Should there not be an ethics committee to carry such grievances to? Because excess luggage was a drivel of excess rubbish – from story, to acting, to over-the-top-ness, to even Denrele, kai kai kai. I was annoyed at the end. You know why? Cos I deserve better!

10 Days in Sun City – AY Makun, Adze Utah, Darlingntin Aduba

This is probably AY’s most coherent film yet.

But what does that help, if it’s still littered with the signature over the top acting, underwhelming story and formulaic narrative. There was nothing new here. Nothing exciting to behold. Just the average type comedy done on a large scale with better money and foreign backdrop as usual. Moving on.

The Body Swapping Scene in ‘My Wife and I’ and the decision to make Ireti like that – The Producers, Director and Visual Effects guys.

The Body swapping scene is in the trailer… so go and watch it yourself and decide. What you may not really see is the actual effort to make Ireti (the daughter in this, played by Jemima Osunde), the most abrasive teenage Nigerian child on screen. While this could have worked out, the utter audacity and sheer boldness without consequences just seemed very ….. un-Nigerian.

Roti – Kunle Afolayan

Every time I think about Roti, I ask myself, so what was this all about?

Story inconsistencies and the mystical balderdash were too appalling to be saved by Kate Henshaw’s acting. For some reason, I think Kunle Afolayan is just going with the flow this season. Not putting too much effort into his films and enjoying his director for hire phase. My prayer is that motivation to do something as good as some of his earlier works returns, because I’m not even excited to see, ‘A Kunle Afolayan Film’ anymore.

Tatu – Don Omope,

This one had potential. It really did. But I just cannot forgive that second half and climax. No I will not! Please Nigerian filmmakers, not everything has to be funny. I beg you.

Do not always succumb to that small voice that says your audience must laugh. Because, we kinda know when you are trying really hard to make us laugh. This is the case with Tatu. Well, it also doesn’t help that some characters seemed bi-polar and Sambasa’s frothing mouth didn’t add any substance to his character. Finally, why did he have to speak? That was such a let-down guys, such a let-down!

The Wedding Party 2 – Elfike Collective, Niyi Akinmolayan

It would have made no sense whatsoever for Mo and Crew to not make a TWP2! Absolutely no sense. But you see ehn, sequels are hard, whether Hollywood, or Nollywood. So I can imagine what went into this.

First, it is obvious they were trying to maintain a lot of the essence from part 1. If not, I believe certain people/characters would have been dropped like hot coal.

It was also obvious that the franchise is trying to give room for continuity. Good on you lot, good on you. But good for us?

More importantly, it was obvious that there was a genuine effort to deliver a better story. This is commendable.

Unfortunately, the performances appeared unnatural, sometimes forced. The flow of the film didn’t really jive like part 1. The comedy was a headache and I started disliking even Tin Tin!! Ha!

This makes me question if we can actually merge good storytelling with our Nigerian type of comedy. And it makes me sad that in all its flaws, I still enjoyed TWP1 to TWP2.

AY is just so special. He really is. See him everywhere on our list! Kai.

This film?! This film?! The only film that can match the horridness of Lagos Big Boy on my list. And it reunites AY and Darlington, making them the most featured of the lot.

So check out my comments for LBB above! Such a cringefest. I just pray that Ramsey Noah will stop acting these films that diminish his star meter.

The lack of landscape posters for Nollywood films

I mean it’s 2018 guys, can we step up our game with posters and image content for promotion. Ahan!

As I said earlier, I missed a lot of content. And I have left out some content as they had adequate redeeming factors to keep them off. Nonetheless, if your film is not here, it’s not necessarily because it wasn’t terrible, I may have just swerved it like a case of Ebola from the look, feel and potential taste of it. Please try to do better in 2018. I sincerely plead.